During the current semester, students from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences have demonstrated what is possible when young talents are given real challenges: Radical Innovation in the context of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) – one of the central building blocks of upcoming EU regulations.

Together with a consortium of top players from German industry – including companies such as BASF, SAP, Siemens, Schunk, ABB, and NOVAZOON ☺️ – the teams didn’t just expand on existing initiatives like Catena-X or Manufacturing-X, they radically reinterpreted them:

👉 Business model innovations,
👉 Actionable digital services,
👉 And real added value beyond mere regulatory compliance.

The final day in Karlsruhe impressively demonstrated how quickly students can familiarize themselves with a highly complex topic and with what energy, creativity, and professionalism ideas can be developed that have real potential for economic impact.

We are very pleased to have been part of this initiative. The project has once again highlighted how great the potential is – and how important it remains to approach digital transformation in a structured and focused way, while also creating the space for the next generation to do so.

The future can be shaped – if you take it into your own hands.

Special thanks to Carsten Hahn and Jochen Gürtler for the excellent organization, and thank you too, Nina Stock, for the network! And a big shoutout 💪 to all the students.

And of course: Thank you to all industry partners for the time spent together, the discussions, and your openness!